In the Loop
by LittleRed314
Summary: Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Blue get Cece, Rocky, Flynn, and Ty to go on a trip to Texas for the Lone Star Rodeo. NONE of the kids want to go... but when they get there will they change their minds? Some meet crushes and others meet old friends. *DISCONTINUED*
1. Janitors?

**Hey, hey, Fanfictionites! ;) I'm back with another Disney multi-chap! **

**This is my first attempt at a Shake It Up! Fanfiction story, so please review and tell me what you think! I got this idea when I was reading a book called 'In the Loop' (that explains the title then, doesn't it? :P)… I took the main storyline, and switched it up a lot to get this! ;D I hope you all enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'Shake It Up!' or 'In the Loop'**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

Gary Wild's voice boomed over the speakers. "So what do you say? Do you want-" He paused for dramatic effect. "Another dance number from the 'Shake It Up!' team?"

The audience screamed so piercingly Rocky put her hands up to her ears. CeCe just squealed along.

"Rocky, can you believe they want an encore?" CeCe smiled. "I love the idea of a 'Shake It Up!' tour!"

Rocky uncovered her ears when the screaming died out. "I would like it even more if we actually got to rest."

"Don't be such a kill-joy!" CeCe scolded her. "At least we get to perform for our families tonight."

Rocky half-smiled. "That's the only reason I'm agreeing to an encore."

"That's… kind of the spirit!" CeCe replied. She gave a nod to Gary to let him know that they were up for an encore.

They could hear Gary's voice echo throughout the stadium. "Put your hands together for the amazing 'Shake It Up! Chicago' dancers!"

The last song's beat rang out on the stage and the group of dancers performed one last dance.

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later Rocky and CeCe dashed to their dressing room.<p>

"Wow," Rocky started. "Was that exhilarating or what?"

"English, please?" CeCe raised her eyebrow.

Rocky rolled her eyes. "If every show is going to be like that, then I don't know how I'm going to survive!" She flopped down onto a comfy armchair.

CeCe tossed Rocky a water bottle and took one for herself. "Come on, this is an amazing opportunity!" She grabbed a bag of chips and sat down in a beanbag chair.

"I know, I know," Rocky sat up. "That's why whenever I try to leave; you better talk me out of it!"

CeCe smiled. "Don't doubt that I won't!"

Gary burst into their room. "Great show, girls! You really give 'Shake It Up!' a good name."

Rocky raised her eyebrow as CeCe asked, "What do you want from us?"

Gary feigned shock. "What do you mean?"

"Just get to the point!" Rocky flopped back into the chair.

Gary smiled. "Well, since you asked-"

CeCe groaned.

"There's a photo shoot tomorrow-" he continued.

CeCe jumped up. "Why didn't you say that before? I am IN!"

"Great, ha! My mom owes me $20! She said I couldn't get janitors for the shoot," Gary said excitedly. "Look who's laughing now!" He leapt out of the room.

Rocky stood up. "_Janitors_?"

CeCe's mouth was hanging open. "Man, I knew it was too good to be true."

Gary poked his head back into the room. "By the way, girls, the studio needs you there at 7."

CeCe shrugged. "That's not too bad."

"7 _A.M._," Gary added. "See you bright and early!"

"I can't believe I'm giving up my Saturday to clean up after models," Rocky groaned.

"7 in the morning?" CeCe contemplated. "That's like… _dawn._" She popped a chip into her mouth.

There was a knock on the door before the duo saw Mrs. Jones stick her head in the room.

"How are my amazing dancers?" she smiled.

"Hey mom," CeCe said politely.

"That was a wonderful show, girls!" Mrs. Jones came all the way into the room.

"Thanks," Rocky replied with a smile.

"So I hear that you two are working at a photo shoot tomorrow morning?" she inquired.

"Yeah… as janitors," CeCe sat down again.

"It's not that bad!" Mrs. Jones sat down next to her daughter. "Just look on the bright side."

"There _is_ no bright side," Rocky complained.

"Sure there is!" Mrs. Jones answered back.

"Then what is it?" CeCe questioned.

"Well, first of all you get to see how a professional photo shoot works from a behind-the-scenes view," Mrs. Jones took a chip from CeCe's open bag. "Not many people can say that they've experienced that."

Rocky's face brightened.

"Go on," CeCe prompted.

"And you can meet the models, and get tips," she continued.

"That's right," Rocky smiled.

"See? It's not that bad to be a janitor for a day!" Mrs. Jones stood up. "But if you're going to be there at 7 in the morning, we'd better go home right now."

The girls grabbed their things and a couple candy bars on the way out. As soon as they stepped out of the building, camera flashes were going off.

"Wow, you'd think were real celebrities with all the attention we're getting!" CeCe put on her best smile and posed.

A little girl ran up to Rocky, panting. "Do you think you can sign my 'Shake It Up!' scarf?"

"Sure!" Rocky smiled and took her pen. "What's your name?"

"Amelia!" the little girl smiled and handed her scarf to Rocky.

"Alright, Amelia," Rocky signed her name and handed it back. "There you go!"

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Amelia hugged Rocky and ran off screaming, "Mommy, look!"

Mrs. Jones stepped in between CeCe and the cameras. "Alright, everyone, back up!"

They stayed where they were and kept snapping pictures and chatting with each other.

Mrs. Jones cleared her throat and then yelled, "I'm a cop!"

The flashed ceased immediately, and everyone went back to what they were doing. CeCe only rolled her eyes.

"Mom, do you have to ruin my fun?" she started. "I was just fulfilling my childhood dream… getting bombarded by paparazzi and a ton of boys rush up to meet me." She sighed. "Then I have to turn them away because I'm getting married to Cade Kilian."

"Cade Kilian?" Rocky scoffed.

"Yes, Cade Kilian!" CeCe defended him. "He's cute!"

"Seriously? Cade the actor?" Rocky started.

"And singer!" CeCe butted in.

"He's so stuck up!" Rocky stated.

"Besides, aren't you a little young to be thinking about marriage?" Mrs. Jones said as she opened the car door.

"Mom, I'm 13," CeCe argued. "I'm not the little girl I once was."

"You may not be a little girl anymore, Cecelia, but you definitely are too young," Mrs. Jones closed the car door and made her way to the driver's seat.

CeCe looked over at Rocky who was shaking with laughter.

"What's so funny?" CeCe said crossly. "Are you laughing about my name again?"

Rocky shook her head but continued giggling.

"You're the one to laugh," CeCe scolded. "Raquel!"

Rocky stopped laughing and replied, "Touché."

* * *

><p>The next day Rocky climbed through the Jones' window from the fire escape.<p>

"Hi Flynn!" she straightened out her jacket. "Where's CeCe?"

"Don't know, don't care," Flynn replied.

Rocky gave him a look. "Aren't you going to invite me to have some breakfast?"

"Why should I?" Flynn asked. "You'd help yourself anyway."

Rocky shrugged and reached for a pancake on the table.

Mrs. Jones walked into the kitchen.

"Sure Rocky, you can have a pancake," she teased.

"Sorry Mrs. Jones," Rocky apologized.

"I'm just playing with you," Mrs. Jones ruffled Rocky's hair. "CeCe will hopefully come out of her room in a minute. She's been locked in there for about an hour now."

Rocky reached up to try to fix her hair. Flynn leaned over and whispered, "Don't even bother fixing your hair until you're out of her reach."

Rocky laughed and CeCe skipped into the room wearing a very glittery outfit.

"Oh, hi Rocky!" CeCe smiled.

"Woah, CeCe, what are you wearing?" Rocky looked shocked. "You're starting to look like Gunther and Tinka."

"Don't sweat about it Rocky. I've already got it all planned out," CeCe explained while taking some pancakes and juice. "We'll get there as janitors, but leave as major models."

Rocky raised her eyebrow at her best friend. "And how is that going to happen?"

"We'll walk into the photo shoot; the photographers will take one good look at us and decide that _we_ are the one's they want and decide to blow of the professionals," CeCe smiled. "It's simple!"

Mrs. Jones sighed, "My little dreamer."

"Good luck with that when you look like you just walked under a bucket of confetti," Flynn hopped off his chair. "See you later, suckas!"

CeCe rolled her eyes and they left for the photo shoot.

* * *

><p>"You have your passes?" Mrs. Jones asked yet another question.<p>

Rocky held her necklace with a pass dangling from it up and nodded.

"And you both have your cell phones?" Mrs. Jones questioned.

"YES, mother!" CeCe huffed. "Seriously, we're not children. Can we go now?"

Before waiting for an answer, CeCe grabbed Rocky's arm and pulled her away mumbling, "Keep walking, keep walking."

Mrs. Jones was still calling their names, which caused Rocky to turn around.

"DON'T LOOK BACK!" CeCe scolded. Rocky quickly turned back as they headed toward the door of the studio. They smiled and opened the door to the studio, just to see another hand push it closed.

"Hey!" a gruff voice yelled. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Going inside the studio…" Rocky trailed off, in fear of the big man.

"Get in line with the other fan girls," he pointed to a clump of girls squealing and talking excitedly.

"Oh," CeCe laughed. "Sir, we're working here today. Gary Wild sent us." Rocky held up her pass.

The security guard examined the passes and nodded. CeCe squealed and they jumped inside the studio.

They froze in shock at the awesomeness of the place. Disco balls hovered over the many backdrops, accompanied by various props. There were lots of cameras, fans, and definitely many cords. There were also several racks with fancy and expensive looking clothing dangling from them.

"Wow," CeCe breathed out.

"So many lights," Rocky commented.

"So many cameras," CeCe smiled.

"So many outfits!" Rocky said.

"So many boys!" CeCe jumped in excitement.

"Seriously, CeCe?" Rocky shook her head. "There's no one in here yet!"

"Maybe in your eyes," CeCe sighed. Rocky rolled her eyes. The photographers were filing into the room, chattering loudly. It was only possible to catch bits and pieces before another few photographers interrupted loudly.

"Did you see her hair?" a tall, blonde one with a thick French accent asked.

"I know! It was like she was hiding a nest in it!" a shorter brunette scrunched her face.

"So ugly, I can't believe-" the blonde started again.

"So I was like 'you would be perfect for my next shoot!' and he was like 'yeah, that would be cool'," another brunette started.

"Oh my gosh!" a redhead squealed. "Talk about getting a raise!"

"Yeah," the brunette replied. "If I can find his number…"

CeCe cleared her throat very loudly, causing all the photographers to snap their heads in the girls' direction. "Hi," CeCe smiled. "I'm CeCe Jones, and this is Rocky Blue."

"Um… hello…" the redhead answered unsurely.

"We're the janitors," Rocky stated. Looks of realization flashed across the photographers' faces.

"I'm Sheryl," one of the brunettes shook their hands. "And this is my sister, Jenna."

The other brunette said a quick hello before the redhead introduced herself.

"Hi, I'm Penny," the redhead said in a perky voice. "Nice to meet you two!"

The tall blonde made her way 'model style' to Rocky and CeCe. She stuck out her hand.

"Vivienne," she said in her accent. "Vivienne Jocelyn Babineaux." CeCe and Rocky politely smiled and shook her hand. She strode away, and the two girls exchanged looks.

"Sorry about her," Jenna whispered. "She's pretty high up on the charts in her mind, if you know what I mean." She made a face and followed Vivienne.

"So, are you girls ready to get started?" Penny asked, in the same perky voice. CeCe nodded vigorously.

"The models should be coming out any minute," Sheryl started. "Go ahead and get yourself familiar with the cleaning supplies in the closet."

"Okay," Rocky replied, and she and CeCe made their way to the janitors' closet. As soon as they opened the door, brooms, mops, and rags fell onto CeCe.

"Eew! Get it off me, GET IT OFF ME!" CeCe screamed.

Rocky rushed to help CeCe out of the mess. They slipped on some gloves and picked up a broom and a mop, and went to the set.

Rocky squealed, dropped the broom she was holding, and slapped a gloved hand over her mouth.

CeCe looked at her, worriedly. "Rocky, are you ok?"

Rocky pointed, still holding her hand over her mouth. CeCe turned and smirked.

"Rocky, Rocky, Rocky," CeCe shook her head and smiled. "I thought you said you were over him!"

Rocky slowly pulled her hand away. "I am…" she tried to convince her.

"Then go talk to him," CeCe dared.

"No, CeCe!" Rocky complained. "I can't."

"Then you're not over him," CeCe concluded.

"Yes, I am!" Rocky shot at her.

"Then go talk to him!" CeCe replied.

"No, I can't!" Rocky said.

"Then you're not over him," CeCe repeated.

"Yes, I am!" Rocky raised her voice.

"Then go talk to him!" CeCe smirked at her game.

"FINE!" Rocky yelled. "I'll go talk to him!"

She marched over to her big time crush- Justin Starr. She hesitated for a second, but then said, "Hey, Justin."

Justin turned around and smiled. "Rocky. Haven't seen you in a while."

Rocky could only nod.

"Are you and CeCe still on 'Shake It Up! Chicago'?" he asked.

Rocky giggled. "Yeah…"

CeCe rolled her eyes and walked over. "Hi Justin."

"CeCe," Justin shook her hand. "How's it been?"

CeCe could see Rocky shooting her a death glare for talking to him out of the corner of her eye.

"Pretty good," CeCe replied, ignoring Rocky. "Still a fan."

"Thanks," Justin laughed. "Well, I gotta go get to my spot. See you two later?"

Rocky nodded and Justin walked away.

"Why did you have to ruin our conversation?" Rocky asked CeCe, angrily.

"Please, you call-" CeCe giggled and sounded strangely like Rocky. "Yeah…' having a conversation?"

Rocky glared. "Don't make me mad, CeCe."

"I told you you weren't over him!" CeCe teased.

Rocky darted for CeCe, and CeCe ran for it, still laughing and teasing her.

"Get back here, CeCe!" Rocky yelled.

"Oh, Justin! You're so cute!" CeCe fluttered her eyes, mimicking Rocky. She laughed while still running from an angry Rocky, until she bumped full-force into someone.

"Hey, watch it!" a familiar voice scolded. CeCe looked up to see who was talking. Her eyes widened and she became breathless at the sight of Cade Kilian.

"H-hi," she stuttered out.

"Bye," he grumbled and started walking away.

"Wait!" CeCe called. "I'm sorry about that."

"'Kay," he replied haughtily.

CeCe frowned and thought _'Great first impression CeCe'_.

Rocky walked up to CeCe. "What was that all about?"

"Oh, Cade Kilian wants to take me on a date," CeCe replied sarcastically.

Rocky raised her eyebrow.

"Keep on thinking that CeCe," Rocky patted her shoulder.

* * *

><p><strong>So that was the first chapter! :D I'm not sure how long the story's going to be exactly, but it's a multi-chap. Please review and tell me what you think of it! <strong>

**~Megan :D (or Meggz… whichever you prefer)**


	2. Going to Texas for a Rodeo

**Hey again! Thanks to my reviewers on the first chapter ;) (And to all those who favorited without reviewing) You guys are awesome to take time to let me know how this story is! :) **

**Anyway, I hope you all like the next chapter. This is where the main events start to happen… so enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own 'Shake It Up!' or 'In the Loop'**

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><p><span>Chapter 2<span>

Saturday evening, after a four-hour photo shoot and cleaning up for nearly two hours, CeCe and Rocky scrambled into the Jones' apartment and flopped onto the couch.

Mrs. Jones ran into the living room, squealing and smiling. "Guess where both of our families are taking off to on Monday?"

Rocky shrugged.

"The Lone Star Rodeo in Texas!" Mrs. Jones started jumping and squealing again.

"Come on girls, it looks plain creepy when it's only me doing it," Mrs. Jones raised her eyebrow at the two.

"Mom," CeCe started. "It looks plain creepy when your doing it, period."

Rocky sat up. "Why are we going to some Rodeo all the way in Texas, anyway?"

"Well, Mr. Jones and I had so much fun going every year," Mrs. Jones's voice got soft. "When he was here…"

Rocky saw the sadness in her eyes and softened up. CeCe just gave her a look.

"Well, I'm sure it won't be _that_ bad…" Rocky shrugged.

Mrs. Jones smiled. "That's the spirit!"

Flynn walked into the kitchen just to hear his mom say, "Now, the Blues are coming over for dinner tonight. I'm pulling out the barbeque!"

Flynn's eyes widened. "Oh no. Not the barbeque!"

"Oh yes," Mrs. Jones nodded. "The barbeque!"

"I'll get the fire extinguisher," CeCe rolled her eyes.

"I'll get the bucket of ice," Flynn volunteered. Rocky shot Flynn a look and he only shrugged.

"You might want to get the hose," he suggested, then left the room. Ty and Mrs. Blue suddenly burst through the front door.

"Hey everybody!" Ty grinned. "What's for dinner? I'm starving!"

Mrs. Blue whacked Ty's arm and shot him a glance. "Where are your manners?"

"Sorry Mom," Ty mumbled. "Thank you for inviting us, Mrs. Jones. Can I help you with anything?"

Rocky tried to hold in a fit of laughter.

"Well, Ty," Mrs. Jones smiled, clearly amused. "Since you asked, I could use some help setting the table." Ty threw his head back and reluctantly walked over to the kitchen. CeCe walked in wearing a fire coat and holding a fire extinguisher.

"Woah, CeCe. Where did you get that coat?" Rocky asked.

"I got it off a guy on the corner of the street about 5 years ago when Mom decided to start barbequing," CeCe explained. "It really comes in handy!"

Mrs. Blue pulled out a container from one of the bags she brought. "Mrs. Jones, I brought over a new and improved recipe of my award-winning barbeque sauce."

Rocky walked over to her mom. "Mom, you _do_ know that that was ten years ago, right?"

"I haven't had the time to enter another contest now that I have two kids to raise," Mrs. Blue said. "But when we get to Texas I can!"

Mrs. Blue and Mrs. Jones squealed causing CeCe, Rocky, and Ty to cover their ears.

"The rodeo is so much fun! I can't wait to show you guys around," Mrs. Jones jumped up. "I'm going to take you to the exhibits where kids show the pigs and chickens and cows they've been raising-"

"Come again?" Ty raised his eyebrows. "We're going on vacation to look at pigs?"

"You'll love it," Mrs. Blue cut in. "And we'll get to ride horses-"

"Um, yeah, about the horse thing," CeCe started. "I'm not so sure that's really me, if you know what I mean. I'm more shoes and hats… not so much 'yee-haw's and 'giddyap's."

"Oh, don't worry about it CeCe," Mrs. Jones put her arm around her. "Riding a horse is as easy as falling off a log. Trust me!"

"The key word there is 'falling'," Rocky laughed.

Mrs. Blue frowned at her. "You guys will have a complete change of heart as soon as you step off that plane and smell the cows and corn…"

Flynn walked in and made a face. "_What_ about smelling cows and corn?"

"Come on, everyone!" Mrs. Jones scolded. "Lighten up!"

Rocky rolled her eyes.

"I would have thought you'd love to go to Texas!" Mrs. Blue said directly to Rocky. "After all, that is where you grew up. Don't you want to return to your roots?"

"My roots have been transplanted," Rocky replied, "to dancing in Chicago."

"Well, you'd better start digging yourself up and acting a little more excited," Mrs. Blue reprimanded. "Besides," she continued, walking over to CeCe. "I heard that Cade Kilian would be there."

"WHAT?" CeCe squealed. "Why didn't you say that before?"

Mrs. Blue smiled. "Much better. Now all of you should learn a lesson from CeCe. I don't want to hear any more complaining!"

The others obeyed and sat down until dinner was ready.

* * *

><p>"Well, hello, little ladies!" A man wearing a pair of overalls with a cowboy hat strode across the hotel lobby to where CeCe and Rocky had just entered, standing in their sea of luggage. He wiped his hand on his jacket and stuck it out for the girls to shake. "I'm Gilbert Wallis Ackermann, the president of the Lone Star Rodeo Association, and I'm pleased as punch to meet you! I hope y'all had a good trip."<p>

Rocky nodded politely as Mrs. Blue, Mrs. Jones, Ty, and Flynn filed through the door and dropped their luggage as well. Gilbert Ackermann tipped his hat toward the newcomers.

"Thank you for setting everything up for us Mr. Ackermann," Rocky replied kindly.

"Now, darlin', I don't wanna hear any of that 'Mr. Ackermann' business," Gilbert Ackermann told her. "Everyone just calls me Gib."

CeCe snorted, but Gib didn't hear it.

"Well, thank you Gib," Mrs. Jones cut in. "I'm Mrs. Jones, that's Mrs. Blue, and these two are my kids, CeCe and Flynn. Those two are Rocky and Ty- Mrs. Blue's children."

"Pleasure to meet y'all," Gib smiled. "Well, I'm gonna go see if that bellboy will ever show up! He's always late…"

As Gib scuttled off, everyone's attention was caught by a commotion near the registration desk. A crowd of concerned people gathered around someone who was obviously displeased.

"I don't care if the penthouse suite is already occupied!" the angry voice yelled. "That's the room I told my manager to book, and that's the room I want!"

"I'm sorry, sir," the harassed hotel manager replied. "We'll certainly find a way to make you happy. Perhaps another luxury suite and a room service dinner, on the house?"

Only when the crowd shifted slightly, they finally saw who was making such a fuss. It was none other than Cade Kilian. He was wearing dark shades, a red shirt with a black leather jacket, dark jeans and an unmistakable 'Kilian bandana'. CeCe let out an audible gasp. She clearly didn't think he would act that way.

"Did you hear that?" CeCe asked Rocky. "I didn't think Cade could be such a jerk!"

"Neither did I," Rocky admitted. "I guess music videos don't always tell the truth."

Gib returned with a fairly young bell boy, who started lugging all the suitcases strewn across the floor onto the luggage cart.

"Well, we don't have to wait for him to be done," Gib laughed. "Let's go!"

They followed an excited Gib into the elevator and pressed the button for the 6th floor. He pulled a clipboard out of his case and scanned through it. "All right, I'll give you the copy of your schedule later, but here are the key points. There's the big 'Cade Kilian' concert at the end of the rodeo- already sold out, can you believe it?" CeCe made a disappointed face. She would do almost anything to get to that concert. "Still need to find backup dancers for that-" Gib shook his head and scribbled on his clipboard.

CeCe's eyes shot toward Rocky. "Backup dancers?"

"No way," Rocky slowly turned to her friend. "I love dancing and all, but this is vacation! ...or something along those lines," she made a face when she remembered where they were exactly.

"Come on, Rocky, _please!_" CeCe begged. "This is my only chance to get into the concert! You heard him, it's sold out. SOLD OUT, Rocky!"

"No, CeCe-" Rocky was cut off by Mrs. Blue.

"Ssh!" she hissed. "You girls are being very rude to Gib. Shut it and listen!"

Rocky quickly nodded, but CeCe paid no attention. "Excuse me, Gib?"

Gib stopped mid-sentence and smiled at CeCe. "What it is, darlin'?"

"Well," she glanced at Rocky, who looked angry at her. She turned back to Gib. "I know where I can find you two back up dancers for Cade Kilian's concert."

"Really?" Gib's eyes widened. "Well, now if you could, I'd be grateful. I've tried putting word out around here, but there are no good dancers volunteering."

"It just so happens that Rocky and I are dancers from 'Shake It Up! Chicago'," CeCe replied. "We'd be happy to do it!"

"I'll say-!" Gib exclaimed with a smile. "Yer hired!"

CeCe squealed and turned to Rocky as Gib crossed out his previous note on his clipboard.

"Rocky, we're hired!" CeCe said.

Rocky gave her a sarcastic smile. "Yay! I could just about die now!"

CeCe rolled her eyes, but couldn't wipe her own smile off her face. There was a ding as they arrived to their floor, and Rocky was the first to step out. Gib put his long arm in front of her.

"What are you doing?" Gib asked Rocky.

"Um…" Rocky frowned. "Getting off the elevator?"

"Oh no, you don't!" Gib tucked his clipboard inside his case, and pulled out his walkie-talkie. "We're upgrading ya."

Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Blue looked ecstatic. Flynn and Ty started chattering with each other about the change in plans, and CeCe turned to Rocky.

"See, Rocky," CeCe explained. "Things are just getting better and better!"

Rocky couldn't argue with this part. She would love a better room! Gib started talking into his walkie-talkie.

"Jeff?" he waited for a reply, and then continued. "I got the backup dancers we needed! I need you to change their room from-" he pulled out a note from his pocket, "-rooms 68 and 69 to the lower penthouse suites."

Mrs. Jones let out a squeal. "Lower penthouse!"

Gib smiled. "The second-best quality. We would've given one of them to Mr. Kilian, but we don't believe in giving in to whining."

Rocky snorted at this, and CeCe shot her a glare.

"So they're all yours!" Gib finished. He reached for the 11th floor button. It wasn't too long until the doors opened up again and revealed a small hallway with three doors. All of them had silver plaques that read 'Lower Penthouse'. On each of the doors there was a different number though. "Alrighty! Room 101 can be for Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Blue; Room 102 for Miss CeCe and Miss Rocky; and room 103 is for Mr. Ty and Mr. Flynn. Sound good?"

Before he could even get the last words out, everyone had hurried out of the elevator and ran to their rooms, rattling the doorknobs and shooting each other confused glances. Gib cleared his throat and everyone turned toward him. He pulled several key-cards out of his back pocket and handed everyone one card. Flynn and Ty were the first to open their door.

Flynn and Ty only took a couple steps past the door before they stopped dead. They gazed all around the room as if expecting to hear a chorus of angelic voices. It was a suite with two bedrooms and a living room with a panoramic view… well, okay, it was a panoramic view of the parking lot, but still. There was a plasma screen TV with a full video game system and a welcome basket full of various snacks.

Flynn ran and flung open the bathroom door. He jumped and yelled, "Jacuzzi!"

"Yeah," Ty said, trying not to sound too excited in case his mom decided to slap him as she often did. "I guess we can make this work."

Gib tipped his hat and smiled. "Ma'am?"

Mrs. Jones took her cue and opened up her and Mrs. Blue's door. It was identical to the boys' suite, but she was still excited. CeCe and Rocky did the same and saw that their suite was also identical to the other two. Rocky turned to Gib before stepping inside.

"Thank you so much, Gib!" she smiled.

"No problem," he replied. "You know, if we knew we were expecting you girls up here, we would've put more 'girly' things into it… Tell you what. You all go have fun at the rodeo and when you come back, you're room will be stocked with things you'll enjoy!"

"Sounds good! Thanks again," Rocky smiled and stepped into her room.

"My pleasure," Gib turned around to the elevator and disappeared.

"Wow, this place is amazing!" CeCe gasped as she turned on the TV. "Whoa! Disney Channel!"

Rocky smiled too. She walked over to explore the suite even more. Both bedrooms had a very fluffy queen sized bed and a personal TV. Along with a closet, alarm clock, phone, and a window with a small view of a ranch. It was pretty nice! She walked toward the kitchen area and saw that there was a counter with a couple of stools, full-sized fridge, oven, microwave, dishwasher, sink, and cabinet with a tin of hot chocolate powder in it.

"Wow, I could live here," Rocky joked as she closed the cabinet. CeCe was settled on the leather couch, reading a magazine. Rocky sat down too. "And to think they're bringing up more."

CeCe's head shot up from the magazine. "More?"

Rocky nodded and laughed at CeCe's reaction. "Yeah, later on, Gib's bringing more 'girly' things." She repeated in Gib's voice.

CeCe squealed. "Can this get any better?"

There was a knock on the door, then Mrs. Blue's muffled voice was heard. "Girls, we're heading down to the café for some lunch, then we'll go to the rodeo."

"Sure thing," CeCe and Rocky replied simultaneously. They looked at each other weirdly. "That was weird," they said again at the same time. They started laughing as they grabbed their jackets and left their suite.

* * *

><p><strong>There was the second chapter! Please leave a review and tell me what you think of it! :) I accept constructive criticism, but please don't flame. <strong>

**Next chapter is the start of the rodeo! Two new characters are introduced… how will they effect the story? Look at the summary if you wanna know before the next update! ;) **

**~Megan **

**(or Meggz)**


	3. Meeting Dawn

Hey everyone! Thanks for the reviews ;) and of course for the favorites and all!

Here's chapter three! Sorry for the semi-long wait… I had a pretty busy weekend.

Anyway… enjoy! And please just take a minute to leave a review :) They mean a lot to me!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Shake It Up or In the Loop… only my version of In the Loop. ;)**

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><p><span>Chapter 3<span>

"Come on, let's check out the midway," Mrs. Jones started.

"Or maybe we should swing by the pie-judging booth?" Mrs. Blue suggested. "Or the vegetable-judging booth, that's a good one."

"I know!" Mrs. Jones agreed. "One time I saw a fifty-pound squash, and it was HUGE!"

Flynn's head swiveled back and forth, taking in everything around him. "I've never seen this many cowboy hats in my life!"

"Isn't it great?" Mrs. Jones put her arm around Flynn's shoulders. Flynn gave her a weak smile.

Ty was staring at a shed covered with a tin roof. There was a sign outside that read, 'Pig races every hour!' On the sign was a painting of a pig racing around a track, a number on its back and a determined expression on its face. "I've heard of horse races and dog races, but… pig races?"

"Oh yeah, it's so cute!" Mrs. Jones laughed.

Mrs. Blue explained. "The pigs race for cookies! And there's a special pig that swims in a little pool-" They had strolled toward another poster that said, 'Mutton Bustin' Contest!'

"Mutton bustin'?" CeCe looked disturbed. "That sounds… weird."

"It's like a little kid's version of bronco busting," Rocky started, and CeCe gave her a look. "And how did I know that? Oh no, Mom, you're contagious!"

"Well, you're absolutely right," Mrs. Blue ignored the last comment. "Except instead of horses, they ride sheep! And of course the sheep don't buck them off, they just run around like mad."

"They ride sheep?" Flynn snickered.

"It's cool!" Mrs. Jones commented. "We'll come back in a couple hours to watch it."

"But first," Rocky stepped in front of the bunch. "Let's do some shopping!"

CeCe nodded. Pig races and sheep riding were foreign concepts to her, but _shopping_… that was a term she understood. She and Rocky raced off before their parents could stop them, ignoring their calls.

* * *

><p>"Oh, look at those necklaces," CeCe grabbed Rocky's arm. "They're gorgeous aren't they? And I was just thinking about how amazing turquoise would be with my new top!"<p>

"Sounds like fate to me," Rocky smiled and followed CeCe over to the booth. She fingered through the jewelry while CeCe held up a turquoise pendant in the shape of a horse on a silver chain.

"This one would be perfect-" CeCe started.

"Excuse me, hon," a voice interrupted. CeCe turned to see a thin, blonde woman smiling thinly with over-plucked eyebrows. She nodded toward the necklace in CeCe's hand. "Can I help you?"

"Oh, no, we were just looking," Rocky said, making sure she didn't get on the 'bad side' of the booth manager. The woman reached out and gently but firmly took the necklace from CeCe's grasp.

"I'm afraid my items might be a little too…" she looked at the two girls, "high for a teenager's budget. But I do appreciate your interest."

CeCe's face slightly turned red. "Actually, I was just thinking I might want to buy that."

"But we have somewhere else we should be," Rocky quickly interrupted. She glanced at her watch and pretended to jump in surprise. "And we're already so, _so_ late! Come on, CeCe!"

She grabbed CeCe's shoulders, swung her around, and marched her over toward the exhibit hall.

"What was that, Rocky?" CeCe asked.

"We need to be careful around here," Rocky explained. "We don't want to be kicked out of the rodeo now, do we?"

CeCe opened her mouth, but Rocky shot her a glare, knowing that she was going to say _'Hey! That wouldn't be so bad!'_

"C'mon," Rocky pulled out her wallet. "Let's go get some popcorn, and look around some more."

Her and CeCe shared a supersized tub of popcorn, tried their luck at tons of games, and even attempted to master the jokes of the fun house. Rocky was holding a huge, stuffed purple teddy bear from a successful game of smashing the bottles, whereas CeCe only won a small keychain that read 'Yee-haw!' from trying to beat Rocky's score.

"I still think that game was rigged," CeCe complained, twirling her keychain carelessly.

"Or -and this is just for argument's sake- you have absolutely no hand-eye coordination," Rocky teased. CeCe glared at her and Rocky just shrugged. "It's just a theory." After taking a few more steps she and CeCe crinkled their noses.

"What is that smell?" CeCe asked disgustedly. Mrs. Blue and Mrs. Jones appeared behind them.

"We must be near the hall where the 4-H kids exhibit their animals!" Mrs. Jones clapped.

The girls plugged their noses. Mrs. Blue took Rocky's hand and dragged her in the direction of the smell. "Come on, girls, you'll love it! And after tem minutes, you won't notice the smell at all."

As they walked down the straw-covered aisles, Rocky and CeCe managed to shake their mothers off their trail. They sped up toward the farm-animal exhibits when they saw a boy about their age standing in front of a huge spotted pig in a pen. He was wearing jeans, a plaid shirt, and a cowboy hat, and caught the attention of many passers-by because of his rope tricks he was performing. His dark eyes were dancing with excitement and his hair matched the color of them.

"He's kind of cute," CeCe bit her lip.

"You think every guy is cute," Rocky retorted.

"That's not true!" CeCe defended herself. Then she stopped and thought for a second. "Oh wait," she giggled. "You're right, I do."

Rocky rolled her eyes as they proceeded toward the boy. She and CeCe watched him with his rope, which bumped into three girls passing by. They were all pretty, but one was clearly standing out. She had long, black hair and blue eyes. She was also wearing a halter top, jeans, and high heels- which Rocky though was a little over the top for a rodeo.

"Hey!" the girl yelled with irritation.

The boy reeled his rope in to try again and smiled at the girls. "Sorry 'bout that. I guess my lasso just got away from me. 'Course, sometimes when I rope something by mistake, it turns out to be a lucky accident."

"Really," the girl sneered and tossed her hair. "And _what_ is that?" She pointed to the pig.

"That's Sweet Pea, my pig. He was the runt of the litter, but I raised him until he got bigger and sweeter," the boy answered with enthusiasm.

She rolled her eyes. "That's _so_ impressive," She said sarcastically.

Rocky narrowed her eyes to view the girl more carefully. There was something about her that was strangely familiar… but she couldn't determine exactly what it was.

The boy's smile slightly faded. "M' name's Kent."

The girl raised her eyebrow at him. "I'm Ima," she said a little too sweetly.

Kent looked a little relieved at her tone of voice. "Nice to meet you, Ima-"

"As in Ima out of here," she interrupted. The two girls following her laughed and Kent looked very embarrassed.

"Wow," CeCe grumbled.

"I know, she's so rude!" Rocky said, thinking that the girl's voice sounded familiar as well.

"I was saying wow at her corny joke!" CeCe laughed. "Seriously, even _I_ could do better!"

After the girl walked a couple of feet, she turned around to Kent again. "And to make it clear, I _might _date a cowboy, but I wouldn't even _think_ about dating a pig farmer!"

As she walked by Rocky, everything immediately clicked into place. "Alyssa!" Rocky called.

"Do you know her?" CeCe whispered.

"Yeah, from my old elementary school here," Rocky replied. She didn't get it- Alyssa was always so nice in school, but right now she was walking away from Kent with her nose in the air.

"Alyssa!" Rocky called a bit louder. "Remember me? …Rocky Blue? From River Bend Elementary school?"

Alyssa turned around and studied Rocky's appearance. Suddenly Rocky was feeling very self-conscious. "Rocky… hmm, no I don't think-"

"Oh, come on!" Rocky could feel her face heating up. "We both tried out for baton twirling in 1st grade! You helped me learn how to do a figure eight, and I got you a cold cloth the time you missed that high catch and the baton bonked you right on your-"

"Yes, right, now I remember!" Alyssa said loudly. She turned to her other two friends. "You know how it is once you start getting famous. Everyone from your past claims they were your best friend."

"Such a pain," one of the girls shook her head.

"Such a pitying thought," the other added.

"You girls can go back to the hotel if you want. I'll catch up with you later," Alyssa told them.

"Cool," the first one said.

"See ya," the other finished.

Alyssa turned back to Rocky. "So… um, Rocky…"

"Blue," Rocky stated. "Does that jog your memory?"

"Oh, right. Rocky Blue," Alyssa repeated. "I should have known you knew me back then because you called me Alyssa."

"Right," Rocky said a little confused. "Because that's your name."

"Actually, I go by my middle name now," 'Alyssa' explained. "Dawn."

"Oh… Dawn," Rocky mentally disapproved. "Well, that's a good name too. It sounds very… original."

Dawn smiled. "Exactly, that's the effect we wanted."

"We?" Rocky asked.

"Team Dawn," she tilted her head. "A few years ago my dad and I decided that I should go on the beauty-pageant runway. So he hired a pageant coach and a costume consultant. Of course, I also have a hair-and makeup stylist, and we stepped up my private voice and piano tutoring to three times a week."

"Huh," Rocky sniggered. "So your dad hired all those people to help you win beauty pageants?"

Dawn didn't seem to notice the sarcasm in Rocky's voice. "Absolutely," she nodded. "Every month, Team Dawn gets together and has a meeting to go over strategy and tactics. A year ago, we mapped out all the major competitions I should enter. A few months ago, I started working with a personal trainer so I would be in totally awesome shape by the time the pageants roll around. Then three months ago, I won the state pageant and got to come here."

"That's… great," Rocky tried to smile. "It sounds like you've been working really hard."

"Of course!" Dawn exclaimed. "After all, when you're in the beauty pageant big leagues, you have to have more than looks and talent and poise. My coach says that you also have to have the three Ps: Perfection, Presentation, and Pageantry. _That's_ what it takes to win."

CeCe roughly nudged Rocky, which Rocky correctly interpreted as _let's wrap it up. I don't want to waste my time on some big-headed girl._

"Well, sure. I guess it is if winning is the point," Rocky said politely.

Dawn looked amazed at Rocky's words. "Of course it is! I know I'm destined for something bigger. I can't wait to leave small-town life behind… the sooner, the better!"

"Right," Rocky replied weakly. Why did she feel so uneasy about the dramatic change in her old friend?

Before either of them could say anything else, a short, restless man ran up to them. Rocky slightly remembered him- he was Dawn's dad. He looked more… done-up then she remembered, though. Instead of a simple cut, his brown hair was slicked back and he was wearing an expensive-looking suit.

"There you are, Dawn!" he said, not even acknowledging at Rocky or CeCe. "I've been looking everywhere for you! Shanna's made some adjustments to your evening gown. You need to come back to the hotel right away for another fitting. Didn't you check your agenda today?"

"Sorry, Dad," Dawn looked downward. "A couple of the other pageant girls only wanted to walk around and look at some of the booths here-"

"You forgot an important appointment _and_ you were fraternizing with the competitors?" he raised his voice in exasperation.

"Of course not, Dad," she quickly turned to Rocky and CeCe. "I probably won't run into you again, but it was nice seeing you." She quickly followed her father toward their hotel.

CeCe turned to Rocky. "Are you kidding? She used to be your friend?"

"I don't know what happened!" Rocky defended herself. "She used to be so cool and down-to-earth. I mean, she was friendly to everyone back then!"

"Maybe we just ran into her evil twin," CeCe proposed. "You know, like that weird movie we watched on TV, where the evil twin joins forces with the mutants and-"

"Right, a great movie with no bearing on our everyday existence," Rocky said. "And it's plain weird. How could she have changed that much?"

"Maybe aliens took over her body!" CeCe followed Rocky out of the building they were in. "You know, like that other movie we saw where the people all start acting like zombies and-"

"Yes, CeCe," Rocky interrupted sarcastically. "Aliens took over her body, and next time we see her she'll be dancing like a zombie."

CeCe grinned triumphantly and clapped her hands. "I told you so!"

Suddenly, Ty and Flynn scuttled up to them, waving half-eaten corndogs in the air.

"Hey, Rocky! CeCe!" Ty shouted. "You should try these corndogs, they're AWESOME!"

A couple people around them snickered.

"I'm sure they are, but we don't need a preview," CeCe looked away, disgustedly.

"I may not be down with pigs and cows and bronco-busting," Flynn stated, "but the food here is great! Look!" He pointed at a bag Ty had draped around his arm. "They have sausage on a stick, they have cheesecake on a stick, they have EVERYTHING on a stick!" Ty and Flynn smiled in delight.

"That's great, Flynn," Rocky replied. "At last you two have found a place you fit in. A place that doesn't require certain basics of civilization, like cutlery."

"I know you didn't mean it that way," Ty said with his mouth full. "But I'll take that as a complement!"

Still laughing and teasing each other, they headed for the door. CeCe looked over her shoulder to get one more glace at Kent, who was busy spinning his rope again. Maybe that Dawn girl wasn't going to waste her time talking to pig farmers… but CeCe certainly was.

* * *

><p>There was chapter 3! Please take just a few seconds to leave me a review :) Like I said, they really mean a lot to me. Thanks so much everyone!<p>

~Megan


	4. Midnight Mayhem

First of all, thanks a MILLION to **Living Life and Loving It**, **CeCe-33**, and **iluvchanny13** for taking just a minute of their time to leave a review ;) Honestly, reviews make my day! :D

Secondly, I'm not sure how much I'm going to be able to update this summer because of high school Color Guard. It's VERY busy. Also with babysitting, VBS at our Church, and my family vacation… it's pretty hectic. I will still try though! Bear with me :/

Finally, enjoy the chapter!

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><p><span>Chapter 4<span>

At the end of the day, the two families headed back for the hotel. Everyone was exhausted, but they surprisingly had a really good time. They might have even admitted that to their moms… that is if they had gotten the chance to. Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Blue were talking the others' ears off about anything and everything having to do with the rodeo.

Once they got out of the elevator, CeCe and Rocky rushed to their room mumbling a quick "goodnight!" before slamming their door. CeCe sighed in relief as she tossed her purse on a nearby table.

"Man," Rocky complained. "And I thought _you_ could talk…"

"Hey!" CeCe started, but Rocky stopped her. There, in the middle of the floor was a sea of huge stuffed pillows. Rocky couldn't stop herself when she got the urge to jump onto the mountain like she always did when she was little when her mom took all the pillows off her bed in order to straighten out the blankets. After she dove onto it, she could almost hear her mom yelling her name the way she always did years ago.

"What are you doing?" CeCe asked.

"Jumping into the pillows," Rocky stood up. Then she quickly added, "For old time's sake."

CeCe nodded disbelievingly and gasped at what she saw next to the pillows. There was a basket of freshly-baked cookies with a bundle of movies next to it- her all-time favorite movie on top.

"Rocky, we _have_ to watch this!" CeCe pleaded.

"Here we go again with _Cade Kilian_," Rocky grumbled.

"Oh, come on!" CeCe whined. "That's not the _only_ reason I like it..."

"Yeah? Then what's the story-line?" Rocky asked.

CeCe opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. She sighed, knowing Rocky just proved her point. She went to reach for a cookie to cover up for her 'fan girl' attitude.

There was an unopened box set beneath the basket, and Rocky reached for a note taped to the side. She read it aloud.

"_Dear Rocky and CeCe,_" Rocky read. CeCe peered over her shoulder to get a better look. "_This is a thank-you-in-advance gift for you two for volunteering at the closing concert of the rodeo. I hope y'all enjoy it! From Gib. PS- I hope y'all like your room, too."_

CeCe hurriedly reached for the box and tore the top open. She reached inside and pulled out a couple of CDs. Her smile faded into a look of confusion when she saw the names on the covers.

"Chris Knight? Johnny Cash? …Adam Hood?" CeCe looked at Rocky for help.

"I've heard of them before," she took a look at the CDs. "They must be popular country singers."

CeCe shrugged and set them aside so she could reach into the box again. She pulled out an envelope, which she tore open immediately. She pulled out another note, and read aloud.

"_Use these wisely_," she trailed off and looked inside the envelope. She pulled out two cards with the Lone Star Rodeo symbol on them.

"They look like gift cards," Rocky commented. "Well, maybe this can help you buy that necklace you saw at the rodeo."

CeCe's face brightened up, and she nodded. Rocky looked at the clock.

"Well, we'll have to thank Gib in the morning," Rocky yawned. She walked over to the pillow pile and grabbed as many as she could and flopped into her bed. CeCe grabbed the remaining two pillows sprawled on the floor and went into her own room. Before she knew it, she was asleep.

* * *

><p>"Goooooooood mooooornin'!" Gib's voice sounded from the other side of the door as he pounded on it. "Rise 'n shine!"<p>

Rocky rolled over. "What time is it?" she mumbled. She opened her eyes slowly to see CeCe doing the same in her own bedroom. She looked just as bleary-eyed as Rocky felt.

"What's going on?" CeCe yawned. "Is this some kind of Texas morning ritual?"

"Worse," Rocky replied as she pulled one of her many pillows over her head. "It sounds like Gib."

Any hope the two girls had of getting back to sleep was shattered when another yodel from Gib echoed through the air, followed by more pounding on the door. Rocky threw her pillow on the floor and opened the door to face Gib.

"I was wondering when you two would finally get up," he laughed.

"What are you doing calling to us at," CeCe glanced at the clock. "7 A.M.?"

"Well it's just as yous' said!" Gib smiled. "I was calling to you at 7 A.M.!" He burst into a fit of laughter. Rocky and CeCe just rolled their eyes. "Well you wanted a wake-up call, didn't'cha?"

"Usually when a hotel offers a 'wake-up call' it means that they call your room phone," Rocky explained. "Not actually call through your door."

"Oh, we don't have no fancy phones here!" Gib replied. "We like to keep things nice 'n realistic."

CeCe groaned and started pushing Gib out the door. Gib called over his shoulder, "Remember, we serve breakfast until 9!" CeCe quickly closed the door.

"Seriously, just when I think I'm starting to like it a little here, those hopes fall down the drain," CeCe stalked off to her closet to get changed for the day.

When they were both dressed and ready, they headed downstairs to breakfast. Rocky took a seat next to her brother Ty, and CeCe sat next to her.

"How did you like your 'wake-up call'?" Ty asked.

Rocky groaned, "Don't remind me."

Flynn didn't say much. He was too busy stuffing bacon into his mouth. They all ate in silence until their mothers dragged them out the door for another day at the rodeo. As soon as they got in the car, Mrs. Jones turned around in the passenger seat to face the other four while Mrs. Blue drove on.

"Everyone, I've got great news!" she smiled.

"We're finally getting out of here?" Flynn's eyes widened.

"No," Mrs. Jones spat. Her expression changed quickly as she shouted, "I got selected as a contestant in the Lone Star Rodeo Official Barbecue Competition! Can you believe it? I'm going to go up against the **best** of the best when it comes to barbecue!"

CeCe half-smiled at her mother. "Mom, are you sure you're ready for that…?"

"Heck, yeah!" she replied. "Mrs. Blue is helping me out! We're going to use her secret recipe for barbecue sauce- what could go wrong?"

"The entire rodeo could go up in flames," Flynn said.

Mrs. Jones glared at her son, and Flynn just shrugged.

"Well, congratulations!" Rocky smiled. She knew that if they were busy with the competition, maybe the kids would get a little more freedom and a little less time from all the blabbering. "That's awesome."

"You know it," her mom grinned. "Five rounds of finger-licking good competition!"

"And at the end, maybe we'll have the honor of taking home the Golden Brisket!" Mrs. Jones finished.

Ty, Rocky, CeCe, and Flynn exchanged uncomprehending stares.

"The what?" Ty asked.

"The Golden Brisket!" Mrs. Blue exclaimed. "The most coveted trophy in the international world of grilling cook-offs!"

"Huh," CeCe said. "And to think that all those silly people in Hollywood get excited about winning an Oscar."

"This _is_ an Oscar, CeCe!" Mrs. Jones put a hand to her heart. "The Oscar of barbecue."

"But _really?_" Flynn started. "The Golden Brisket? Where did they get that name? Why didn't they call it the… Platinum Pulled Pork?"

"Or the Silver Spare Rib?" Ty suggested.

"Or the Crystal Kielbasa?" Rocky added.

Mrs. Blue shook her head sadly. "And I thought I raised my children right."

"Well, I think it sounds really cool, Mom," CeCe changed her attitude. "Really."

"Really?" Mrs. Jones smiled. CeCe nodded.

"But you'd better make sure the grill your using agrees with you. If I were you, I'd spend my spare time practicing on it, so it doesn't backfire in the competition," CeCe continued. Now the other kids knew why her attitude changed so quickly.

"Yeah," Ty helped. "You will need to spend every minute possible fine-tuning that award-winning sauce, Mom. You need to stay focused every minute if you want to win."

"Yeah, you don't have to worry about us at all," Flynn said.

"We'll just hang out, do our own thing, and of course not get into _any_ trouble…" Rocky convinced their moms.

"Okay!" Mrs. Jones clapped. "We're going to spend every second training ourselves for that competition! There is NO way we're going to lose!"

Mrs. Blue joined in. "By the end of the rodeo we'll be the ones with our pictures being taken with the Golden Brisket."

The two of them continued to chatter excitedly as the four in the backseats smiled at each other. Again, the trip was starting to look up.

* * *

><p>Shortly after they arrived at the rodeo, Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Blue hurried toward the barbecue grills while Gib took the kids to a trail ride. Now they were standing on the side of a dusty road along with a line of covered wagons. A dozen riders on horseback trotted up and down the side of the road.<p>

"Show-offs," CeCe grumbled. Suddenly Flynn and Ty's heads shot up. They started sniffing the air.

"Fried bacon?" Ty started.

"Biscuits… gravy…" Flynn smiled.

"I believe that's apple butter," Gib interrupted. "There might be a smidgen left if you boys are hungry-"

Before Gib could finish his sentence, Ty and Flynn were out of sight. Even though they already ate a pretty big breakfast, there was no turning down bacon and biscuits. They tore open the curtains on each covered wagon, searching for the meal. Rocky and CeCe watched them, thinking about how pathetic they were.

Despite the high-temperature heat, everyone seemed to be having such a good time. Kids were chasing their dogs around the wagons and the sound of jingling bridles and horses' whinnies filled the air.

CeCe let out a shriek and Rocky turned to her friend to see what the fuss was about. There was a beautiful black horse with a white diamond on its forehead standing about five feet away, staring straight at her.

"Don't you worry none, little lady," Gib relieved her. "Midnight Mayhem won't bite."

CeCe inched her way behind Rocky, careful not to scare the horse. She gave Rocky a frightened look. "Then why is he called Midnight _Mayhem_?"

"Relax, it's probably just a nickname," Rocky answered. She hoped she was right. She hadn't been on a horse since 1st grade… and that was just a small donkey- not even a horse. But this one had a flowing black mane and tail and was absolutely gorgeous.

"Great," CeCe said. "Aren't nicknames based on key character traits? What do you think that horse did to earn a name that means 'absolute chaos and destruction'?"

Rocky looked at her friend, surprised. "How did you even know the exact meaning of mayhem?"

CeCe shrugged. "I heard it a lot when I was little… that and 'havoc'. I wasn't very well behaved back then."

Before CeCe could back up even more, Gib grabbed her arm and dragged her over to Midnight Mayhem. The black horse lowered his head and started nibbling on her hair. She jumped and let out a little scream. She ran behind Rocky again and yelled, "He's trying to bite me!"

"No he isn't!" Gib laughed. "He was just nuzzlin' you. It means that he likes you."

"Or it means that he wants to eat my hair!" CeCe put her hands on her head protectively. "Curse my sweet-smelling conditioner!"

"Come on, CeCe," Rocky said. "Give Midnight Mayhem another chance."

"Nooo way," CeCe grabbed Rocky's arm. "We're leaving. I am **not** going to risk getting my beautiful hair ripped out of my scalp!"

Rocky knew CeCe would love riding if she just gave it a chance… she jerked back her arm and before she knew it she blurted out the three words that she knew would get CeCe on that horse.

"I dare you!" Rocky smirked.

CeCe's eyes widened. "You… what?"

"In fact, I double-dog dare you!" Rocky smiled a challenging smile.

"Oh you are on!" CeCe said with determination. She hesitantly grabbed the horse's bridle and flung herself into the saddle, almost slipping off the other side. Once she was settled on top of the horse, she looked around, shocked and pleased at her unusual bravery.

"There," CeCe shouted. "I did it- I'm on. Can I get down now?"

"Nope," Rocky shook her head. "I meant that I dared you to _ride_ the horse."

"That's not fair!" CeCe whined. The horse took a couple of steps and CeCe threw her arms around Midnight Mayhem's neck and wailed.

Rocky mounted a light brown horse next to her with ease. _Hey, this isn't so bad!_ She thought. "Are you ready to ride?" she asked.

CeCe shook her head vigorously, but Gib gave the horse a pat to start trotting anyway. CeCe straightened her back a little bit so she didn't strangle the poor horse. She still looked terrified, though.

"See?" Rocky shouted. "This is the best part! Doesn't it feel good to be riding a horse?"

"As long as I don't fall off…" CeCe replied. She screamed when a couple horses pulling a wagon shot in front of her.

"Well, if it isn't CeCe riding a horse!" Flynn's voice rang out. "…or _trying_ to, I should say."

"Knock it off, Flynn," Rocky yelled. "At least she's trying!"

"What do you think you're doing anyway? You didn't steal that, did you?" CeCe raised her eyebrow at her brother who was in the front of the wagon next to Ty who was holding the reins.

"Of course not!" Ty answered. "We met the chuck wagon cook and he said that we could take this baby out for a spin. Although that makes it sound like it's running smoothly, when actually it's quite bumpy…"

Rocky rolled her eyes. "It's a _wagon_, not a sports car! What do you expect?"

"I dunno," Ty shrugged. "Something better than this though."

Just then, a dog ran right in front of Midnight Mayhem, which made the horse rear. CeCe slid off its back and tumbled to the ground. Before Rocky could get off her own horse and help out her friend, she heard Ty and Flynn yelling at their own horses.

"Stop! STOP!" Flynn was shouting.

"Wait- WHOA!" Ty tried.

It was no use. The horses were galloping down the path, trailing a rough-bumping wagon with the boys inside behind it.

Then Gib yelled out. "We've got a runaway!"

Several riders mounted their own horses and took off after them. Rocky jumped to the side of the trail and saw her brother and Flynn disappear in a cloud of dust.

* * *

><p><strong>Alrighty then! <strong>That's chapter 4 :) Hope you all enjoyed it!

So **please** just take a second to leave a short review! Even if it's only one word, it'll make me feel better about my story.

Thanks to those who havebeen reviewing! :D

~Megan


	5. Ty's Rescuer

Heyaaaaaaaa! :D How's the summer, everyone? I know I'm enjoying it! :)

Anyway, thank you to **arillovesyou22** and **iheartzendaya** for reviewing! You guys made my day :)

Unfortunately for some people, the only romance I'm putting in this story are with a main character and a minor character (not two from Shake It Up). It would just be too weird for me to make one suddenly stop liking the person they're paired up with now and jump to another. Sorry for all those who expected that! :( I hope you all understand.

Enjoy chapter 5!

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><p><span>Chapter 5<span>

"We're going to die!" Flynn screamed. "Help! Somebody! We're going to DIE!"

"Shut it, Flynn," Ty snapped, pulling back on the rains as hard as he could. "You're not helping."

"What do you mean I'm not helping," Flynn retorted. "Didn't you hear what I just said? We. Are. Going. To. Die!"

"Thanks for the news bulletin," Ty rolled his eyes. Then he thought that maybe he should try telling the horses to stop, instead of relying on his nonexistent horse-driving skills. "Whoa! Stop! Hold on!"

"Who trained these horses? Don't they understand English?" Ty shouted.

"Maybe they're Spanish-speakers!" Flynn suggested.

Ty gave Flynn a look, but tried his idea anyway, since they had no other ideas. He had only taken a year of Spanish in high school so far… he was searching his memory for the right word, mentally cursing himself for not paying better attention.

_Plato?_ No, that means plate.

_Padre?_ Nope, that's father.

It was a word that started with a 'p', he was sure of it… Finally he got it.

"Parada!" he screamed, tugging on the reins once more.

But the horses apparently didn't under stand Spanish either, because they didn't stop. If anything, all of Flynn's screaming about their upcoming death seemed to make the horses run even faster.

"Isn't there a brake on this thing?" Flynn yelled. "I'm sure there is some governmental regulation that requires an emergency brake on any covered wagon meant to be used for transportation purposes…"

Ty ignored Flynn's argument and tried using his manners his mom always scolded him for not using. "Please, do me this one little favor. Please slow down, just a little bit…"

"LOOK UP AHEAD!" Flynn screamed for the thousandth time.

Ty's head snapped up to reveal an intersection of two major roads with dozens of cars whizzing past each other. At that moment, Ty believed Flynn's screams of their doom. _We're gonna die. We're gonna die!_

Then seemingly out of nowhere, a rope flashed through the air. The loop of the lasso landed smoothly around the neck of one of the lead horses. A voice called out, "Woah!" with more authority then Ty and Flynn had tried. The horses suddenly slowed down to a trot and finally stopped. They stood on the side of the road as their mysterious rider trotted up and released the horse's neck.

"Thank you," Flynn sighed. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!"

"Yeah," Ty tried to play his cool. "Oh course I had everything under control, but it was nice of you to step in."

The rider pushed back the brim of a cowboy hat and looked straight at Ty. He felt his mouth drop open. Their rescuer was a girl!

"Yeah, I could see you had _everything_ under control!" The girl's blonde hair flopped around as she spoke. "I especially liked the way you were heading for a major intersection. Real bold move there."

Ty felt his face get hotter. He knew she was being sarcastic, he could hear it in her voice, but his heart jumped anyway. He knew she probably wouldn't want to have anything to do with him. He could see it in her deep, green eyes. But he couldn't help to fall instantly for her.

Ty was hopelessly in love.

* * *

><p>Now that the excitement of the runaway wagon was over and everyone had gone back to their own business, Ty was flitting around behind his rescuer trying desperately to get her attention. This wasn't easy to do as she was busy checking the other horses' saddles, packing away her bedroll, and helping the cook stow away the pans that he used to make breakfast. Still, Ty wouldn't give up.<p>

"Where do you live? How did you learn to use a lasso like that? And what's your name anyway?" Ty blurted out.

She stopped shoving a box to the side and turned to give him a level look. "My name is Alice Bridget Landers," she replied crisply. "I'm from Alpine, I've been rodeoing since I was eight, and I am _very_ busy. So would you please leave me alone to do my duties and run along to play?"

Ty frowned at her, but still was finding it hard to breathe. He stood there, staring at her in an idiotic way. He finally noticed that she was raising her eyebrow at him and was waiting for him to get out of her way.

"Oh, r-right," Ty stuttered. "I'll j-just be getting-g out of y-your way."

"Good," she nodded, and hopped out of the wagon.

"Listen!" he shouted after her. "My name's Ty. I'm from Chicago. And I'm pretty tight with two dancers from TV."

"You mean, 'Shake It Up!" dancers?" Alice turned to look at him.

"Yes, exactly!" Ty said eagerly.

"I hate 'Shake It Up!'" her face darkened. She turned around to walk again.

"Oh," he was taken aback, and Flynn patted his shoulder.

"Let her go," Flynn sighed, annoyed at his friend's love struck behavior.

Ty tried calling one more time. "You know, I'd really like to get to know the country way of living… if only there was someone to help me."

Alice slightly turned toward him. "Uh-huh. You just keep working on that. But in the meantime, stay out of my way. 'Cause I don't like city boys. Especially when they try to pull the wool over this country girl's eyes." She turned and walked down the path.

Ty blinked, and she was gone.

* * *

><p>"I'm not going back," Ty stated.<p>

"What?" Rocky was shocked. She and CeCe met up with their brothers and were surprised at what they were saying. "What do you mean you're not going back?"

"I'm not going back to the hotel," Ty persisted. "I'm staying here. With the trail ride."

"You're kidding," she took a closer look at her brother. He looked pale and determinated and… _serious._ Ty? Serious? She felt a jolt of alarm as she quietly asked him, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied simply, but his eyes were darting around showing the girls that he was hiding something. Rocky glanced at Flynn who only shrugged his shoulders. "I just think that it would be fun to ride with them for a few days. You know, really get into the spirit of the Old West, and um… all that kind of stuff."

CeCe and Rocky exchanged confused looks.

Ty snapped. "We should all stick around. That wagon cook, Lance, said he'd show me how to set up camp when the trail riders stop for the night. Did you know he can actually make shrimp scampi and peach cobbler using _only_ a tin can and a branding iron? I'd really like to see that, wouldn't you?"

"You mean, you'd really like to _eat_ that," CeCe teased. "Seriously, do boys ever think of anything except their stomachs?"

"Hey!" Ty protested. "Just because we have a sense of curiosity about the world-"

"Which is an excellent trait by the way," Flynn interrupted. "You're absolutely right, Ty."

"I am?" Ty asked in astonishment.

Just then, a short chubby man strode toward the four of them, smiling.

"Well then boys," he started. "Are you ready to set up camp?" Ty nodded and Flynn shrugged. Lance took notice of the girls standing there. "Oh!" he gasped. "Are these your girlfriends?"

Ty and Flynn shouted "NO!" as the girls widened their eyes and looked like they were terrified. Lance put his hands up defensively.

"Just checkin'," he said. "Well come on, boys, we don't have all night." Ty and Flynn followed Lance as the girls watched them in amazement.

"I didn't think they were actually going to go through with it," Rocky said.

"I'm still confused," CeCe shook her head. "Let's just forget about it before we find out what they are _really_ up to."

Rocky nodded in agreement as they walked toward the food court and met up with Gib.

"Well hello little ladies!" Gib smiled. "We have to get you two over for a dinner to discuss the final concert."

CeCe's eyes widened as she looked at Rocky. Rocky rolled her eyes, allowing CeCe to ask the question on her mind. "Will Cade Kilian be there?"

"Sadly," Gib replied. CeCe didn't seem the least bit offended by this. She jumped up and squealed. Then she looked down at her outfit. She eyed the ketchup stain on her shirt with disgust.

"Do I seriously have to go looking like this?" she complained.

Gib smiled. "Well why don't you go to the gift shop? They always have cool stuff in there." He nudged Rocky, who took the cue and pulled out their gift cards.

CeCe smiled and grabbed Rocky's arm and pulled her as fast as she could toward the gift shop.

"Remember to meet me back here at 6!" Gib called after them.

* * *

><p>After almost two hours of shopping at this booth and that booth, hearing critique from the booth managers, and spending every last cent from their gift cards, the girls had everything they needed. They changed into nicer clothes, which CeCe pulled together nicely with that turquoise necklace that she was shooed away from the other day. This time when CeCe had the money to pay for it, the booth manager was surprised and embarrassed- just the effect CeCe wanted.<p>

Rocky and CeCe made their way to the food court where Gib was sitting with a bowl of fancy-looking macaroni. As soon as Gib saw them, he looked at his watch, wiped his mouth, and ushered them out of the area.

"It's almost time for dinner, but before we go," Gib started, "I want you two to come through the barbecue tent."

"Why does everyone make such a big deal about barbecue in Texas?" Rocky asked. "I mean, it _is_ just meat cooked over a fire, isn't it? How hard is that? Cavemen used to do it."

Gib stopped and gave her an astounded look. "If you have to ask that, you've never tasted _real_ barbecue."

Rocky scrunched up her face at Gib. He continued walking toward the tent. "You know, I like to grill on weekends once in a while, but I admit that I'm out of my league when it comes to these guys. Some of them even miss football games to go to barbecue competitions!"

"No!" CeCe gasped, pretending to be shocked.

Gib smiled and opened up the door to the tent for them. They were immediately surrounded with the sweet and smoky smell of barbecues. There were many expensive-looking barbecues in a line, and they stopped to meet each and every contestant. They finally stopped at a beaten-up one. When Rocky and CeCe looked up, they saw Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Blue working hard to perfect their meat.

"Why, I didn't know you two were into barbecue!" Gib said happily.

Mrs. Jones smiled up from her work while Mrs. Blue spread her special sauce onto each piece of meat. "We decided to give it a try," she shrugged.

"Well then there's no need for me to introduce you to them two," Gib pointed to Rocky and CeCe. A confused look washed over Mrs. Jones's face.

"Hmm, let's see, where have I seen you before?" she joked. Mrs. Blue looked up and matched her expression.

"Are you some of those reality show stars maybe?" Mrs. Blue joined.

Mrs. Jones snapped her fingers. "That's it! You're the ones who broke down crying when you got kicked off of that dance show for bumping into _every_ other dancer, right?"

Mrs. Blue and Mrs. Jones laughed, and Gib joined in. Rocky and CeCe gave them sarcastic smiles and Rocky mouthed out, 'Very funny.'

"Where are the boys? There supposed to be looking after you," Mrs. Blue asked.

"They're staying on the trail ride," CeCe replied. Her mom raised an eyebrow at her.

"Everything's fine! They just wanted to get into the 'spirit of things'," Rocky added.

Mrs. Jones looked like she was going to say something else, but shook her head and decided against it. She and Mrs. Blue said goodbye and quickly retuned to their barbecuing.

"Are you two ready for dinner? I know I am after smelling all that mighty sweet barbecue…" Gib trailed off.

"Sure am," Rocky nodded, snapping Gib out of his trance.

"Okay, now you should know a few tips before we get inside," Gib led the way to the restaurant only about a block away from the rodeo. "First, you must _always_ look the managers in the eye when you're talking to them. Otherwise they'll think you're shy and not want you as dancers. Second, you should use your manners and constantly make comments. If you are too messy, they will think it effects your dancing or if you are too quiet, they will feel awkward and take it out on you. Thirdly, with whatever comments you _do_ make, always make sure that it is not insulting in any way. Even though these managers seem tough, they get hurt easily and will fire you in an instant. Fourth,-"

"Wow, how many tips are there?" CeCe asked while Rocky's mouth hung open.

"This was the last one," Gib smiled. "Make sure you be yourself- the spunky teenagers that you are are what they are looking for. Good luck!"

He shoved them inside the doorway with a strong hand and waved at them before turning back to the rodeo. Rocky and CeCe nervously looked around at the fancy diner.

* * *

><p>The next chapter will have the <strong>disastrous<strong> dinner, more of Ty's hopelessness with Alice, and _who knows what_ else. (I do!) :D Please take one minute to leave a review!

Thanks a million in advance! ;)

~Megan


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